Featuring giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. On a grey day in September it was difficult to get a good shot of the Wellingtonia at the centre of Kensington Town Hall in Hornton Street. This tree, and its neighbouring Horse Chestnut, precedes the modern buildings that surround them, the Giant Redwood having been planted by Baroness Churchill in 1967. A brass ring all around the base is inscribed with the words: A GIANT AMONGST TREES IN MEMORY OF A GIANT AMONGST MEN THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER CHURCHILL K.G. O.M. C.H F.R.S. Although it appears quite healthy I would say that the tree's growth rate is suffering a little from lack of light, water and possibly shortage of air to the roots. Nevertheless it is growing and once it clears the buildings it will benefit from the additional light. Perhaps the people who "decried the loss of the last piece of green space in the area" when the new Civic Centre was built in the 1970's can sympathise with its plight. Dale wrote to say "Sadly the tree at OS TQ 25371 79800 planted by Baroness Churchill is no longer there. " Such a shame that it's now gone, particularly in view of the unusual style of plaque dedicating the tree to Winston Churchill. I wonder whether they will try replacing the tree.
Visit information
- Access
- Restricted access
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/kensington.htm
Redwood species here
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in parts of their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Present. Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume
Native to the fog belt of coastal California and Oregon, coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth. In Britain they thrive where rainfall, humidity, and sheltered woodland conditions echo their native range, forming narrow, soaring avenues and groves with reddish fibrous bark and flat fern-like foliage.
Present. The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impr
Dawn redwood is a deciduous redwood from China, known from fossils before living trees were documented in the 1940s. It reached British collections soon afterwards and is now found in parks, botanic gardens, and arboreta, where its soft summer foliage and rusty autumn colour make it distinct from evergreen giant sequoias and coast redwoods.
Present. A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relativ
About this place
About Kensington & Chelsea - Kensington Town Hall
Kensington & Chelsea - Kensington Town Hall is located in Kensington & Chelsea, London, England.
Species Present
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.
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Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.